Star Stayer! Grant Behr punches the air in delight as In Writing powers home
Jockey Grant Behr’s delighted bunch of fives victory salute as he steered the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Gold Cup winner In Writing to a smooth victory in Saturday’s R200 000 Gr3 Cape Summer Stayers Handicap at Kenilworth spoke volumes of the difficulties faced by the perennial second-string jockey.
Behr has played a shadow role to the likes of Glen Hatt, MJ Byleveld and Karl Neisius in recent years, but pops up every now and again when riding a cracker on the lesser fancied horses. The positive aspect is that Behr seldom carries any pressure on his shoulders and his ride on the Argentinian-bred son of Editor’s Note was right out of the top drawer.
The gelding has proven quite an enigma again in terms of his preferred racing style.
A winner of many of his races when dictating the pace, he settled nicely on Saturday off a solid gallop set by Hospitality and then Jeppe’s Reef, before romping clear to win easily.
Nysean Bolt delayed the start marginally before they were despatched with Putney Flyer and In Writing a little lethargically into their strides.
Mike Stewart’s Hospitality went out to play his habitual pacemaking role and he led from Grey Cossack, Nysean Bolt, Born To Be Wild and with the fancied Tribal Dance well placed a little further back.
The order remained unchanged through the mile post, before Robbie Fradd played his hand by taking Jeppe’s Reef through his field at the 1200m marker.
Smile! In Writing is led in by Rick Achmat, Mary-Anne Knight and Wendy Michel
The son of Jallad galloped strongly into the long home run and dashed a few lengths clear as the whips came out on those behind him.
At the 300m Jeppe’s Reef drifted out slightly under pressure as Fradd’s shrewd move appeared to be paying the dividends. Blake was making his forward move down the rail while Putney Flyer unwound down the middle from last into the straight.
Inside the 250m marker In Writing was in full cry and he drew clear to win well by 1,25 lengths with Jeppe’s Reef staying on just ahead of Putney Flyer.
In Writing’s stablemate Blake ran fourth and was rather one-paced in the final 200m.
The 11-10 tote favourite Triball Dance ran a poor race to finish a disappointing fifth, as did the well-supported Nysean Bolt who fizzled to nothing in the straight and ran stone last and 18,35 lengths behind.
In Writing, who won the Gr1 Ladbroke’s Gold Cup on Super Saturday, showed that his last run was all wrong and that he had needed it badly. He was winning his 7th race from 24 starts with 14 place cheques. He took his earnings to R1 329 584.
Bred in Argentina, he is by Editor’s Note out of the Candy Stripes mare, Inalay.
In Writing is an enthusiastic 7yo who stays well and will now probably line up in the J&B Reserve Stayers on Met day.
Result:
Cape Summer Stayers Hcp (SAf-G3) (12/22)
Kenilworth, South Africa, December 22, R200.000, 2500m, turf, good, 2.35.19.
IN WRITING (ARG), 60.5, ch g 7, Editor’s Note (USA) – Inalay (ARG) by Candy
Stripes (USA). Owner Fieldspring Racing; bred in Argentina; trainer D
Kannemeyer; jockey G Behr (R125.000)
Jeppe’s Reef (SAF), 53.5, b g 5, Jallad (USA) – Studio Fifty Four (SAF) by
Badger Land (USA)
Putney Flyer (SAF), 53.5, b c 4, Miesque’s Approval (USA) –
Tiptoethruthewoods (SAF) by Fort Wood (USA)
Margins: 1¼, ¾, ½
